In a world where they can be anything, teach them to be kind. Kindness is one of the most important values in my household but it’s also something my children often struggle with.
It’s easy to say “be kind” but children learn by example – meaning we need to be kind too.
However, they also learn by doing. That’s why we wanted to share 50 acts of kindness for kids to do. These simple acts of kindness won’t cost the earth and won’t take up much time but they can make a huge difference.
You’re never too young to be kind and hopefully, these little acts will help pave the way for the next generation of kind, caring, empathetic human beings.
Show this list to your kids. You never know, they may decide on their own to give a few of them a go. Or, they may need a bit of a push. We’ve got acts of kindness that they can do as a surprise to you as well as acts to do together to surprise someone else. simple things that they can do once, or continue to do over and over again.
So, without further ago, let the kindness begin!
50 Acts of Kindness for Kids to doÂ
Kind acts around the houseÂ
1. Start the morning by making the beds.Â
2. Put away the groceries (without being asked).
3. Organise the Tupperware drawer. If the Tupperware drawer is too intense (which, let’s face it, they can be!), start with a different drawer.
4. Walk the dog – or, if too young, fill up the water dish.
5. Offer to help cook dinner.
6. Hide a special note for mum, dad or a sibling in a book for them to find.
7. Get up a little early to make mum or dad a coffee (if old enough).
8. Hang the towel up after using it in the washroom.Â
9. Put away your school bag, hat, shoes, and unpack your lunch box.
10. Let your sibling go first or suggest that your sibling picks the family movie at night.Â
11. Fill up everyone’s water glass at dinner.Â
12. Put the piles of laundry that’s been left on the kitchen table in everyone’s room.Â
Acts of kindness towards others
13. Bake cookies for a neighbour.Â
14. Make a card for someone. This can be a thank-you card or just a “Have a good day’ card. Leave it in their mailbox for an extra nice surprise.
15. Paint rocks to leave at the park for others to find.Â
16. Eat lunch with someone at school who normally eats alone. Or, ask them to join you at lunch or play time.
17. Help a teacher put the chairs away at the end of the day.
18. Pick flowers. Bring them home for mum or dad or give them out to people you run into during your day.
19. Text someone a funny meme.
20. Facetime or call a grandparent.Â
21. Make a friendship bracelet for someone.Â
22. Leave five compliments on friends’ social media photos (if they have social media).Â
23. Write happy messages on post-it notes to give out to others. Or, leave them around the house for your family to find. The mirror is a good place to put these.
24. Bring stickers to the playground to give out to younger children.Â
25. Paint a picture or do a colouring-in to give to someone special. A teacher, a coach, a neighbour, a grandparent or simply someone you think would like it.
26. On bin collection day, bring in the bins for your neighbours. And your own bins as well.
27. Put a bit of your spare change in a vending machine. The person who finds it will be so excited!
28. Hold the door open for someone.Â
29. Give a compliment to a stranger.
30. Make playdough to give to families with young children.Â
31. Ask someone how their day was.Â
Kind acts for the community and environment and yourself tooÂ
32. Look into a community Clean-up Day. Clean Up Australia is a good one. It’s on March 5, 2023, this year.
33. Write a thank you card or say ‘thank you’ to a service worker. This could be a post office worker, a bus driver or the Lolly Pop workers who hold the sign for you every day as you cross the road.
34. Donate old toys and books. Put them in a box to drop off at a collection point the next time you drive past one. Remind mum that the box is in the back of the car because she WILL forget.
35. Leave old tennis balls at the dog park. Pups will LOVE them!
36. Put supermarket trolleys left in the car park back into the trolley area (Mum or Dad may need to be with you for this one).
37. Start a compost at home.Â
38. Bring a plastic bag and pick up rubbish on your next walk (wear gloves for this).Â
39. Offer to help someone. And ask for help when you need it too – this is a great way to be kind to yourself.
40. Look into participating in a fundraiser such as a fun run, a walkathon, a skip-a-thon or a famine.Â
41. Write a poem and hide it in a library book for someone to find.Â
42. Make a poster for your local park to remind people to pick up their dog poo.
43. Walk or bike to school. This is a great way to be kind to the environment.
44. When you go shopping with your mum or dad, choose an extra item of food to donate to a food bank.
45. Dry the slides at the park with a towel after it rains.Â
46. Offer to teach someone younger than you a new skill. This can be anything – reading, colouring, cartwheels, soccer. Use your skills to help someone who may not have mastered this skill set yet. Be sure to include plenty of praise too!
47. Make a bird feeder. The birds will be forever grateful!
48. Clean up a mess you didn’t make (or offer to help).Â
49. Start a Gratitude Journal. Write down three things you’re grateful for every night. Or, if this is too much, just think about three things you’re grateful for before going to sleep.
50. And, finally, smile at others.
What to read next
- School Ditches Homework for Acts of Kindness
- Is There a Trick to Raising Resilient Kids?
- 7 Skills Children Need and How to Teach Them
